


An Indecent Proposal

by Renata Lord (snowlight)



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Love Letters, M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-26
Updated: 2012-01-26
Packaged: 2017-10-30 04:24:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/327685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowlight/pseuds/Renata%20Lord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Garak gives a formal declaration of intent.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Indecent Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> Post series finale. With apologies to Evelyn Waugh and Tennessee Williams.

My dear Doctor,

In the tradition of all great Cardassian literature, I am sending you this all-text message as a formal declaration of intent. I know we have not seen each other in more than a year, but I think the time apart has merely provided us with a chance to contemplate the past as well as the future; and it is indeed the future that I am mindful of when I ask you to come to Cardassia and become my _dacar_. In your human terms, I am asking for your hand in marriage.

 _Believe me_ when I say that I cannot advise you to agree to my proposal in good conscience, or whatever I have left of it. To start, I am much older than you are, and humans tend to outlive Cardassians, especially one in dangerous occupations such as a minister in a fledgling government. In addition, you must be quite aware of my faults and deficiencies, unless as your poets say, for humans absence doth indeed make the heart fonder. But perhaps most importantly, I am asking you to trade DS9 and your friends there for the reptilian environment of Cardassia Prime and—let's face it, hordes of my xenophobic compatriots. No, my dear, this would be a thoroughly rotten deal for you, free clothes notwithstanding.

Nevertheless, _Julian_ , think about how wonderful it would be _for me_! I, who tried to leave you behind but proved far more sentimental that I ever intended to be. To illustrate: The other night, I was being entertained by one Gul Kovaz at his abode. For all his famed intelligence and wit, not to mention impeccable taste in art, I found myself sorely longing for your presence. There comes a time in a man's life, my dear, when he must ask himself—if even the _very_ delightful and handsome young governor of Dayak cannot compete with the mere memory of a distant human's mind and flesh, what then is the poor man to do?

Well, now you know the answer.

Some other pertinent information for your consideration: I have no surviving relatives, which is in fact great for you. My job is for the moment stable, despite the drawbacks associated with it. The environment here, both physically and socially, would not be agreeable to you as an outworlder. Even so, I have every confidence that you shall make a successful adaption, should you choose to do so.

As you know, Julian, I can be a remarkably selfish individual, and I hope you would choose to do so. You have always extolled the virtue of candor to me, thus at least for this one occasion, I shall admit that I have little to offer to share with you in return, except for my life, my work, and my people.

Elim Garak


End file.
